Oxycodone 40 mg also known
as Oxycodone Hcl Extended-Release Tablets is used in managing severe pain in
some special cases. These said special cases include, the patient being above
11 years Opioid-tolerant, and must be already receiving oxycodone hydrochloride
20 mg dose on a daily basis. The pills are used for around-the-clock and long
Opioid term treatment of pain.
What are the ingredients of
40 mg Oxycodone?
There are both active and
inactive ingredients present in 40 mg Oxycodone.
The pills are easily
recognizable in the form of film-coated ER tablets. They are available in the
market in the form of round, bi-convex tablets tablets painted in yellow. It
has OP printed on one side and 80 on the other.
How does Oxycodone 40 work?
Oxycodone 40 mg works by
binding itself to opioid receptors, especially the mu receptor. Due to this
action, the chemicals initiating analgesia are released that travel along the
brain and spinal cord.
Side Effects of Using
Oxycodone 40 mg:
Every medicine is most
likely to have side effects. Some of the side effects are as mentioned below:
Nausea
Weakness
Sweating
Dizziness
Sleep Apnea
Constipation
Dry mouth
Hallucinations
Loss of appetite
Vomiting
Lightheadedness
Drowsiness
Agitation
Confusion
Abdominal pain
Unusual tiredness
Rash
Swelling
Weight loss
Fainting
Seizure
Severe dizziness
Warning and Precautions
While using Oxycodone 40 mg:
Addiction and Misuse:
40 mg pills are a higher
extended dose of Oxycodone. Oxycodone is an opioid that comes with the risk of
being abused and causes addiction. This risk increases if the patient has a
history of drug/alcohol abuse or addiction. Such patients are more likely to
get addicted and have a constant risk of getting into depression.
Respiratory Dipression:
Life-threatening Respiratory
Depression is observed in patients even after the prescribed dose of 40 mg
Oxycodone. This is most likely to happen in the initial stage of treatment
(24-72 hours). That is the primary reason for excessive monitoring of patients
in the first 72 hours. Along with that, the patient needs to be careful when/if
the dosage is increased in the late stages of treatment.
This is likely to happen in
a pregnant woman if she continues to use Oxycodone 40 mg even during the last
stages of pregnancy. This syndrome not only poses a severe risk(including
death) for the mother but can also cause lasting side effects in a newborn.
The common signs for NOWS
include:
Tremors
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Irritability
Fever
Other significant risks of
using Oxycodone 40 mg include:
Patients with Chronic
Pulmonary Disease and Debilitated Patients should be extremely careful while
using a 40 mg pill of Oxycodone as they are more likely to suffer from
Respiratory Depression which can easily lead to death.
These are also chances of
Adrenal Insufficiency in patients. This is likely to happen after one month of
use of Oxycodone. The symptoms of Adrenal Insufficiency include vomiting,
anorexia, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, weakness, and low blood pressure. In such
cases, Oxycodone 40 treatment is immediately stopped and replaced with
corticosteroid treatment until the treatment wears off.
While using this medication,
there is always a chance of conditions of hypotension especially in patients
with syncope.
Oxycodone pills of 40 mg may
reduce respiratory drive in patients with brain tumors, head injury, increased
intracranial pressure, or impaired consciousness. Just make sure to inform your
doctor if you undergo any of the mentioned conditions.
Drug Interaction of
Oxycodone 40:
Oxycodone 40 mg when taken
with P450 3A4 Inhibitors can lead to adverse side effects including fatal
respiratory depression as these medicines increase the plasma concentration of
Oxycodone. Some examples of P450 3A4 Inhibitors include erythromycin, ketoconazole,
ritonavir, etc.
Use of CNS Depressants with
40 mg pills can lead to side effects such as Profound sedation, coma,
respiratory depression, and in the worst cases death. The reactive CNS
Depressants include anxiolytics, tranquilizers, general anesthetics,
non-benzodiazepine sedatives, hypnotics, muscle relaxants, and antipsychotics.
Do not use serotonergic
drugs such as triptans, trazodone, SSRIs, SNRIs, TCAs, 5-HT3 receptor
antagonists, mirtazapine, tramadol, metaxalone, cyclobenzaprine, etc. with the
medication.
It is advised not to take
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors such as phenelzine, linezolid, and tranylcypromine
with Oxycodone 40 mg pills.
Other medications that react
with Oxycodone 40mg:
Butorphanol
Pentazocine
Cyclobenzaprine
Nalbuphine
Buprenorphine
Metaxalone
Anticholinergic Drugs
Overdose of 40 mg pills of
Oxycodone :
When the patient knowingly
or unknowingly takes the medication in more than the prescribed amount, it
often leads to various kinds of reactions in the body. These symptoms of
overdose can be minor as well as major depending on how the body reacts to the medicines.